Why are ethics important in marketing?

Question

What would happen if they didn't exist?

why are they so important to the marketing system?

Answer 1

they arent important

Answer 2

that is a good question!

Answer 3

This can apply across the board. Why are ethics important in life?

Ethics--positive aspects:

Social and Business Responsibility

Work to all parties' advantages

A just legal/political system

Good faith

Building Trust.

Answer 4

     People are easily misled.  That fact creates the need for ethical practices in marketing.  Although, you could debate the extent of ethical practices found in marketing, there are still some areas that should be off limit- such as actual doctors being paid to endorse a particuliar drug.  For example, if doctors are paid to endorse a drug, are they doing so because they truly believe in the drug or because they are being paid to do so?  Further, this opens the public to being misled.  Many people are all too willing to believe what any doctor says....

    If ethics didn't exist, honestly, I don't think there would be a huge impact.  The people who are easily misled can be easily misled now.  (Using the previous example, pay attention to how many commercial use students working on their doctorial or who are in residency).  

Answer 5

From the looks of certain ads on TV (such as Free Credit Report.com), you'd think that ethics go totally out of the window when it comes to marketing.

I think that companies will do anything they can legally get away with. It's hard being a consumer these days because you simply don't know who you can trust. Claims are made a million times a day that this drug and that drug will help you with your problem, but what about the million side effects? So, to answer your question, it seems like ethics barely exist in marketing today.

Answer 6

Because ethics are all about saying what you mean and telling the truth. I think a lot of advertising bends the rules of ethics and aren't completely truthful. But if we didn't have ethic they could say whatever  and lie all the wanted. How bad would it be if drug companies didn't disclose their  drug's side effects?  

Answer 7

For marketing?  God no, throw them out the window.  If you have ethics in marketing then you will never be successful.

For life?  Yes, ethics are important.